Automotive vehicle antiskid device



J Sheets-Sheet .l

NJN.

w. E. GERTH AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ANTIsxID DEvm;

Filed Jan. 21, 1942 ILIl -llillllllllflliim Sept. l5, 1942.

Sept. 15, 1942. w. E. GERTH AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ANTISKID DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1942 NN Au .www

Sept 15, 1942 w. E. GERTH AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ANTISKID DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 2l, 1942 Patented Sept. 15, 1942 AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ANTISKIDEVICE William E. Gerth, Chicago, Ill., assigner of fortynine percent` toKarl Brenner, Chicago, Ill.

Application JanuaryV 21, 1942, serial No. 427,577"

I1 Claims;

This invention relates to' an' anti-skid' device which is especially adapted foruse on automotive vehicletrucks, busesan'd the like;

An object' of the invention' is to affordY animproved and'relatively simpler and more eflici'ent' anti-Skid device for use on automotive vehicle' trucks, buses and the like than has been provided heretofore.

A further object of the invention is tov afford novel and relatively simple but efficient means for moving the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members, which'are embodied in the device, into and out of effective and ineffective'positions.

An additional object of theinvention" is to afford an improved and relatively simple but efcient device for retaining'the tire-engaging and;

ground-gripping members' in ineffective or raised position.

Another object of the invention' is to afford an improved and relativelysimpleb'ut efficient device for retaining the tire-engaging and'groundgripping members in effective or lowered position.

Still another object of the invention is to afford a novel device for guiding the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members into and out of effective and ineffective positions.y

A further object of the invention is to afford a novel arrangement for urging the tire-engaging` and ground-gripping members into engagement way of illustration, show preferred embodiments'- and the principles thereof andwhat I- now oon- Sider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used andstructural changes may be made as desire'dby those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is atop plan' view of the chassis or frame o:

of an automotive vehicle truck showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical longitudinal sectional view of an automotive vehicle' truckI showing parts of the new anti-skid device mountedV thereon and showing one of the tire-engaging andY ground-gripping members in ineffective or raised.

position.; g

Fig'. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational View,

Online 3`-3'1in Fig. 2, illustrating apart ofthe means by which thel tire-engaging'- and ground-V gripping members are latchedinv raised or` ineffective position;

Fig. 4 is avertioa'l sectional View illustrating a preferred construction of oneof the new tire-engaging and ground-gripping members and-showing the same in lowered or effective position;

Fig. 5 is afragmentary side elevationalview showing one of the new Atire-engaging and ground-gripping members attached in lowered or effective position;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the Darts shown in Fig. 5 and showing the parts in the same position in which they are shown in Fig. V5; Fig; 7 isa bottom plan view on line 'I-T-in Fig. 5, partlyin section; y

Fig; Sisa fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the latchingrmechanism by means of" which the4 tire-engaging and f ground-gripping membersare latched'in lowered'or effective posi-` tion;

Fig. 9 isian'enlarged fragmentary sectional de t'alil view of One'ofthe tire-engaging andy groundgripping members' and showing in elevation one of thenovelanti-skidcalks embodied therein;

10 isa-'sectional top planlview on line Iiilfin Fig. 8f; and f Fig. 111 is avertical vsectional view on lineI i-I I in Fig. 8. K

Atypical and preferred embodiment of'` the present invention is illustratedin the drawings, wherein it is generally indicatedat I 0, and wherein it is shown as' being associated with an automotive vehicle truck II, onlya part of which is shown; and the classis or frame of which is geneiallrii indicated at 12.

The new anti-skid device includes a pair of yieldable or resilient tire-engaging and groundgripping members', which are generally indicated at I3, and which will be described in detail hereinafter, one of' the same being associated with'each of the reai` wheels of the automotive engaging and ground-gripping members I3, into engagement with the ice-covered or wet ground, pavement, or other slippery surface over which the vehicle and the tires I4 are moving.` However, during the normal operation of the vehicle the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are held in raised or ineffective position, as s hown in Fig. 2, but they are readily releasable from this position by means which will now be described, so that they may be dropped down into lowered or eifective and tire-engaging and ground-gripping position, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The drivers compartment of the truck or like automotive vehicle, with which the new anti-skid device is associated, is indicated at I1 (Fig. 2) and includes an upright wall I8 which is disposed below the drivers seat I9, at the front thereof, and provided in this wall I8 is a vertically extending bayonet guide slot having a horizontally extending latching portion ZI at the upper end thereof.

Working in and guided in the slot 29 is the upper end portion 22 of a flexible cable 23 yand attached to the upper end portion 22 of this cable 23 is a manually operable latching handle 24.

The flexible cable 22-23 runs over and is guided by a suitable guide pulley 25 which is mounted on the frame or chassis I2 of Ythe truck II and from the guide pulley 25 the cable 23 extends rearwardly through a guide sleeve 26 which is mounted on the frame or chassis I2 of the truck, between the ends thereof.

The flexible lcable 23 is divided or bifurcated,

in any suitable manner, at the point where it runs through the guide sleeve 26 so as to form two rearwardly but oppositely extending arms 21.

Each of the arms 21 of the flexible cable 23 is connected at its rear end, Ias at 28, to the lower end portion 29 of a latch-controlling lever 30 which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 3|, upon a movable arm 32. Each of the two movable arms 32 is, in turn, pivotally mounted as at 33 upon the corresponding one of two combination supporting and 4guiding structures, which are generally indicated at 34, and which are clamped about the rear axle housing 35 of the automotive vehicle truck or the like Il, said combination supporting and guiding structures 34 being secured in position by means of the shackle bolts 36 which support the rear springs 31a of the vehicle, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

One of the combination supporting and guiding structures 34 is associated with each of the rear wheels of the vehicle and each of these combination supporting and guiding structures 34 includes a lower combination supporting rand guiding plate 31 which is provided, on its lower surface,.with an angularly extending and channel-shaped slot 33, each of the movable members 32 being guided in one of the slots 38, for reasons which will be set forth presently.

Each of the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3-is carried by, and is suspended from, the corresponding movable member 32, of the related combination supporting and guiding structure 34, by means of a pair of resilient or spring arms 39 which are connected to opposite ends. of the related movable member 32, each of F' the resilient or spring arms 39 being provided, between its ends, with one or more coils or convolutions 40.

Associated with the upper end portion 4I of each of the latch-controlling arms 29 is a latching device, generally indicated at 42. Each of these latching devices 42 includes a slidable yoke 43 and the upper end portion 4I of the corresponding lever 29 projects between the arms of the related yoke 43, as shown in Figs. 5, 8 and `11. Each of the slidable yokes 43 is urged forwardly (right to left, as seen in Fig. 8) by a spring 44 which is attached to the corresponding movable member 32. The other end of each of the slidable yokes 43 is connected to a latch dog 45 which is pivotally mounted at its lower end. as at 46, upon an angularly formed extension 41 of the corresponding movable member 32, and each of these latch dogs 45 is adapted to latchingly engage a latch keeper pin 48, one of which is provided at the rear end portion of each of the combination supporting and guiding plates 31, each of these latch keeper pins 48 extending across the corresponding one of the slots 38 (Fig. 11).

The construction and mounting of the tireengaging and ground-gripping members I3 is shown in detail in Fig. 4. Each of said members I3 comprises a body 49 which is preferably made of at least six-ply combination fabric and rubber stock, and each of these bodies 49 is rotatably mounted upon an anti-friction device which includes anti-friction bearings or ball races 59 which are carried by a hub structure 5 I and each of these hub structures 5I is, in turn, carried by the corresponding pair of resilient or spring arms 39. The body 49 of each of the members I3 is provided on its axially outer side with an annular rib 55, (Fig. 4), for a reason which will be explained hereinafter.

As shown in the drawings, each of the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 has preferably at least three rows of anti-skid calks I6 mounted thereon and extending annularly therearound, and the preferred design of these calks is illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein it will be seen that each of the same has a head portion 52 anchored in the body 49 of the corresponding tire-engaging and ground-gripping member I3,

' and each of these calks I6 has a depending portion I9 which has a vertically extending straightsided or flat front face 53 and an angularly extending rear face 54, for a reason which will be described presently.

1n the use of the new anti-skid device, the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are normally held in raised or ineffective position, as in Figs. l and 2, by engagement of the latching handle 2'4 in the horizontally extending upper portion 2l of the bayonet slot 29, and when the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are disposed in ineifective or raised position, it will be noted, as shown in Figs. l and 2, that they are disposed inwardly of the axially inner sides of the rear tires I4 of the automotive vehicle truck, bus or the like !I upon which the new anti-skid device is used.

However, if and when it is desired to use the new anti-skid device as, for example, when a truck or the like I I engages an ice-covered, wet, or other slippery surface and 1cegins to skid, the driver of the truck or the like may quickly release the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 for movement into lowered or effective position, by simply manually moving the latching handle 24 (left to right, as seen in Fig. 3) out of the horizontally extending portion 2|l and into the vertically extending portion of the bayonet slot 20, whereupon the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 will drop by gravity into lowered'and effective position, in which they are shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the movable members 32. and related parts carried thereby, including the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3, pivoting at 33 during this operation.

Whenv the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are thus released for movement into lowered or effective position, they are, as stated above, pivoted at 33, andare guided outwardly toward and into engagement with, and into a position below, therear tires I4 of the vehicle, this being accomplishedV by movementV of the members 32 in the angularly extending and channel-shaped slots 38 which, it will be noted, extend at an angle relative to both the longitudinal and transverse axes of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 7.

When the tire-engaging and ground-gripping membersv I3 are thus dropped into lowered andv retained' in effective position, below the rear tires I4 of the vehicleby means of the resilient or spring-supporting arms 30' and the spring coils or convolutions 40' therein.

It will be noted, in` this connection, that each of the latch dogs 451s normally urged into latch- I ing engagement with one of the latch keeper pins 48 (in the-plate 3l) by means of the corresponding slidable yoke 43 and springk 44, as shown in Fig. 8.

Itl will also be noted, by reference particularly to Figs. 4 and 9, that when the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are in lowered or effective position, the rear tires I4 of the vehicle bear thereon with their weight so as to urge a substantial number ofthe anti-skid calks I 6 into engagement with the ice-covered, wet', or other slippery surface I5, and thus prevent or stopskidding of the vehicle.

It will be further noted, that when the tireengaging and ground-gripping members I3 are in lowered and effective position, the anti-skid calks I5 will dig into the ice-covered, wet, or other slippery surface I5 with the substantially fiat, straight-sided and vertically extending facesv 53 thereof extending forwardly, that is, toward the front of the vehicle and, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 9, the shape of these calks I 6 is such that the ground-engaging and flat or straight-sided front faces 53 thereof are reinforced by the metal which is provided in and by the angularly formed rear portions thereof, thus lpreventing breaking of the calks, and thereby prolonging their useful life and increasing their efficiency.

After the vehicle I4 with which the new antiskid'device is used has come to rest, and in order to move the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 back into raised or ineffective posi-A tion, it is necessary for the driver to pull slightly on the handle portion 24l of the flexible cable- 22-23 so as to unlatch the latch dogs 45 from` engagement with the latch keeper pins 48, there-l by moving the same into dottedlineor unlatchedV position, as shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the driver of theV vehicle may reverse or drive the same rearwardly a, few inches so as to move the rear tires I4 off from the tire-engaging and groundgripping members I3.

In order to complete the raising of the thus unlatched and released tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 into raised or ineffective position, the driver of the vehicle then pulls the handle portion 24 of the iiexble cable 22-23 upwardly in the bayonet slot 20 and into the horizontally extending portion 2I thereof. This movement acts, through the exible cable 233-21, to pivot the members 32 and the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 (and other parts carried thereby) at 32, into raised or ineffective position, and the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are held or latched in raised position by engagement of the latching handle 24 the horizontaly portion 2I of the bayonet slot 20.

lt will4 be noted, in this connection, that as the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members i3 are thus moved into raised or ineffective position, they are moved axially inwardly, relative to therear tires I4 of the vehicle, by movement of the pivotal members 32 in the channel-shaped guide slots-38 in the combination supporting and guiding plates 31, so that when the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members I3 are in their normal elevated or raised position, they are disposed` substantially inwardly of, and out of the wayv of, the rear tires- I4 of the vehicle, as best shown in Fig. l.

It. will be noted, particularly by reference to Fig. 4, that when the tire-engaging and groundgripping members I3 are in lowered or effective position, as in Fig. 4, the axially inner lower tread portions of the tires I4 bear down upon theannular ribs or rib portions 55 of the members I3Y and thus help to urge the members I3 intov gripping `engagement with an ice-covered or wet or other slippery surface I5 over which the vehicle is moving so as to prevent or retard skidding thereof.

It will be seen, therefore, from the foregoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, that the present invention affords a new and improved and relatively simple but efficient anti-skid device for use on automotive vehicle trucks, buses and the like, and hence accomplishes its intended objects including those specifically pointed out hereinbefore.

I claim:

l. Incombination with an automotive vehicle, amanti-skid device comprising a pair of normally raised and ineffective yieldable tire-engaging and ground-gripping members each adapted to be moved into lowered and effective position in engagement with and below the tread of the tire of one of the rear wheels of said'vehicle so as to be pressed by the weight of the Vehicle into frictional engagement with a slippery surface over which the said vehicle may be moving so as to prevent orretard skidding of the vehicle, means for supporting said tire-engaging and groundgripping members upon said vehicle, means for guiding said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members into and out of raised or ineffective position andinto and out of lowered or effective position including'a device for moving said tireengaging and ground-gripping members axially outwardly relative to the said rear wheels of said vehicle during movement of said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members into lowered or effective position and axially inwardly relative l t'o the said rearf wheels of said vehicle during movement of said tire-engaging and groundgripping members into raised or ineffective position, means for latching said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members in lowered or eective position beneath the tread of the tires of the rear wheels of said vehicle, and means for unlatching Asaid tire-engaging and ground-gripping. members for movement from effective or lowered position beneath the tires of the rear Wheels of the said vehicle and for moving said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members into raised or ineffective position including a manually operable control member arranged in the drivers compartment of said vehicle.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means for unlatching the said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members and for moving the same into raised or ineffective position includes a exible member movably guided upon the chassis or frame of the vehicle and having a portion extended into the drivers compartment of the vehicle and provided with a handle portion and in which a means is provided in the drivers compartment of the vehicle for normally latching said handle member to retain said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members in raised position.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means for unlatching the said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members and for moving the same into raised or ineffective position includes a exible member movably guided upon the chassis or frame of the vehicle and having a portion extended into the drivers compartment of the vehicle and provided with a handle portion and in which a means is provided in the drivers compartment of the vehicle for normally latching said handle member so as to retain said tireengaging and ground-gripping members in raised position and in which the means for latching said handle member includes a bayonet slot provided in a vertically extending front wall of the drivers seat and having a horizontally extending end portion in which the said handle member is normally disposed and latched.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means for unlatching the said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members and for moving the same into raised or ineffective position includes a exible member movably guided upon the chassis of the vehicle having a portion extended into the drivers compartment of the vehicle and provided with a handle portion and in which a means is provided in the drivers compartment of the vehicle for normally latching said handle member so as to retain said tire-engaging and groundgripping members in raised position and in which said flexible member is bifurcated between its ends to provide a pair of rearwardly extending arms and which device includes means, connected to the rear end portions of the rearwardly eX- tending arms of said flexible members, for unlatching said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members from lowered or effective position for movement into raised or ineffective position.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 inwhich each of the tire-engaging and ground-gripping members is supported by a pair of resilient spring arms provided with at least one spring coil or convolution between the ends thereof so as to retain said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members yieldably beneath the tires of the rear wheels of said vehicle when in said lowered or effective position.

.6. A device as defined iny claim 1 in which each of the tire-engaging and ground-gripping mem'- bers is supported by a pair of resilient spring arms provided with at least one spring coil or convolution between the ends thereof so as to retain said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members yieldably beneath the tires of the rear wheels of said vehicle when in said lowered or effective position and in which each of said tireengaging and ground-gripping members is rotatably mounted upon an anti-friction bearing hub structure carried by said resilient arms.

'7. A device as defined in claim 1 in which each of said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members includes a combination rubber and fabric body having annularly extending rows of antifriction calks mounted therein in the external peripheral surface thereof.

8. A device as defined in claim 1 in which each of said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members includes a combination rubber and fabric body having annularly extending rows of antifriction calks mounted therein and in which each of said anti-friction calks includes a substantially vertically extending and straight-sided at front face and an angularly extending rear portion reinforcing each of said front faces.

9. A device as dened in claim l in which each of said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members comprises a substantially disc-shaped resilient body rotatably mounted upon an anti-friction bearing hub structure and in which each of said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members is provided in its external peripheral surface with rows of anti-friction calks and in which each of said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members has an annular rib formed on its axially outer peripheral surface and against which the tire of the corresponding one of said rear wheels of the Vehicle is adapted to Ibear when said tireengaging and ground-gripping members are in lowered or effective position.

10. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means for guiding said tire-engaging and ground-gripping members into and out of effective positions includes a combination supporting and guiding plate mounted upon the rear axle housing of the vehicle and provided on its lower surface with a substantially channel-shaped guide slot extending angularly relative to both the longitudinal and transverse axes of the vehicle and in which said anti-skid device includes a movable member pivotally mounted upon the vehicle below the rear axle housing thereof and engageable in said slot and in which each of said tireengaging and ground-gripping members is carried by one of said movable members.

11. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means for guiding said tire-engaging and groundgripping members into and out of effective positions includes a combination supporting and guiding plate mounted upon the rear axle housing of the vehicle and provided on its lower surface with a substantially channel-shaped slot extending angularly relative to both vthe longitudinal and transverse axes of the vehicle and in which said anti-skid device includes a movable member pivotally mounted upon the vehicle below the rear axle housing thereof and engageable in said slot and in which the means for latching said tireengaging and ground-gripping members in lowered or effective position includes a latch dog pivotally mounted on said movable member and engageable in a latch or keeper slot provided in said combination supporting and guiding plate.

WM. E. GERTH. 

